Lidia Thorpe accuses state of being 'complicit' in genocide after two Aboriginal men die in police custody
Lidia Thorpe has accused the Northern Territory government of being complicit in 'genocide' as relations between Aboriginal communities and police deteriorate.
A 68-year-old Indigenous man died at Royal Darwin Hospital on Saturday after police stopped him from boarding a plane when they claimed he was drunk.
It's the second death in custody in a fortnight in the Northern Territory.
Days before, 24-year-old Aboriginal man Kumanjayi White died on May 27 after he was restrained by plain-clothes officers in an Alice Springs Coles.
Both deaths are being investigated by police on behalf of the Coroner.
Victorian independent Senator Thorpe took aim at NT's chief minister Lia Finocchiaro for being 'complicit' in the harm against Indigenous Australians.
'We meet all the definitions of genocide and I've certainly seen that over my time,' she told ABC's Radio National on Tuesday.
'The definition of genocide, according to the Geneva Convention, is causing harm to a group of people.
'The ongoing killings of our people in custody is ongoing harm of our people,' she said.
'The incarceration rates of our people, particularly in the Northern Territory, particularly of our children, is an act of genocide.
'The stealing of children and putting them in with white families is an act of genocide.'
Thorpe also accused NT Police of 'systemic racism' and called for the federal government intervention into the force.
'We need the prime minister to come out. He came out on vaping. He came out on social media to stop kids from accessing social media.
'He called the states and territories to account for those issues. So he needs to do the same for deaths in custody.'
Daily Mail Australia has contacted NT Police and the Prime Minister's office for comment.
Finocchiaro slammed Thorpe's statements saying 'we categorically reject and dismiss these absurd claims'.
'The politicisation of a death in custody by federal Independent and Labor MPs shows just how little respect they have for the grieving family, the Northern Territory Police Force, and the broader NT community,' she said.
The deaths in the last fortnight have ignited calls nationwide for more to be done to address the issue at territory and federal government levels.
Hundreds of protesters gathered on the steps of Sydney's Town Hall on George Street on Saturday night where the lawyer for Mr White's family addressed the crowd.
'I've just come back from Alice Springs and Yuendumu, I'm angry there are mothers grieving there tonight,' lawyer George Newhouse said.
'I am angry there was a disabled young man calling out for his mother in Coles last week.'
Rallies and vigils commemorating Mr White's death were also held nationwide on Friday, stretching as far as Alice Springs to Victoria's state parliament where Thorpe was one of the speakers.
The Northern Land Council released a joint statement with Central Land Council and all Warlpiri families on Thursday calling for federal government to step in.
'Not enough has been done to address racism in the NT Police force,' the organisations said.
'We are calling upon the Federal Government to step in and make the necessary moves to ensure an independent body investigates this entirely preventable death.'
On May 30, the same day TN was arrested while attempting to board a flight, NT Police Acting Commissioner Martin Dole rejected calls for an external investigation.
'This incident is being investigated by our Major Crime Division, which operates under strict protocols and with full transparency,' he said.
'The investigation will also be independently reviewed by the NT Coroner, who has broad powers to examine all aspects of the incident and make findings without interference.'
This year alone there have been 12 Indigenous deaths in custody and 597 since the 1987 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody was established.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
27 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Australia sanctions two ‘extremist' Israeli ministers for inciting violence against Palestinians
Australia has joined the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Norway in placing financial sanctions and travel bans on two Israeli government ministers, over what Penny Wong described as 'inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank'. The Magnitsky-style sanctions on Israel's national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and the finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, were in response to serious human rights violations and abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank, including Israeli settlements considered illegal under international law, the governments said in a joint statement. Israel's foreign minister has branded the move 'outrageous', and the US has condemned the sanctions, but Wong said settler violence in the West Bank undermined prospects of reaching a two-state solution and peace in the Middle East. 'These two ministers are the most extreme proponents of the unlawful and violent Israeli settlement enterprise,' Australia's foreign affairs minister told ABC Radio National. 'Along with the United Kingdom, with Canada, with New Zealand and Norway, we have determined that it is important together to send a very clear message that these activities and the the impingement on the rights and human rights of Palestinians in the West Bank are not acceptable.' In an unexpected move, news of which broke overnight (Australian time), the Albanese government joined several allies in levelling the targeted financial sanctions and travel bans. The men were sanctioned in relation to a range of public comments and actions, including marching through Jerusalem's Muslim Quarter with a group that chanted 'death to Arabs' and 'may your village burn'. Ben-Gvir last month said Israel would 'occupy the entire territory of the Gaza Strip' and encourage migration of Gazans elsewhere, while Smotrich in February said ''With God's help we will work to permanently bury the dangerous idea of a Palestinian State'. The sanctions make it an offence to make assets available to a sanctioned person, require the freezing of any assets in Australia, and prevent them from entering Australia. Wong said the actions of the two ministers 'go against the notion of a two-state solution.' 'We do think that's important for peace and security in the region,' she said of moves toward a two-state solution. In a joint statement alongside foreign ministers of the other countries, Wong said that settler violence had led to the deaths of Palestinians and the displacement of whole communities. 'Settler violence is incited by extremist rhetoric which calls for Palestinians to be driven from their homes, encourages violence and human rights abuses and fundamentally rejects the two-state solution,' the joint statement read. 'Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. Extremist rhetoric advocating the forced displacement of Palestinians and the creation of new Israeli settlements is appalling and dangerous. These actions are not acceptable. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email 'We have engaged the Israeli Government on this issue extensively, yet violent perpetrators continue to act with encouragement and impunity. This is why we have taken this action now – to hold those responsible to account. The Israeli Government must uphold its obligations under international law and we call on it to take meaningful action to end extremist, violent and expansionist rhetoric.' Guardian Australia has contacted Israel's embassy in Australia for comment. Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Sa'ar, described the decision as unacceptable and said it was 'outrageous that elected representatives and members of the government are subjected to these kind of measures'. Speaking about the British government's decision specifically, Smotrich said: 'Britain has already tried once to prevent us from settling the cradle of our homeland, and we will not allow it to do so again.' Ben-Gvir said: 'We passed Pharaoh, we will also pass [Keir] Starmer's wall.' The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, urged that the sanctions be reversed, saying the US condemned the action. 'These sanctions do not advance U.S.-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war,' he said in a statement. 'We reject any notion of equivalence: Hamas is a terrorist organisation that committed unspeakable atrocities, continues to hold innocent civilians hostage, and prevents the people of Gaza from living in peace. 'We remind our partners not to forget who the real enemy is. The United States urges the reversal of the sanctions and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel.' The joint statement from Australia and allies had noted the ministers' 'unwavering support for Israel's security and we continue to condemn the horrific terror attacks of 7 October by Hamas'. 'Today's measures are targeted towards individuals who in our view undermine Israel's own security and its standing in the world. We continue to want a strong friendship with the people of Israel based on our shared ties, values and commitment to their security and future,' the statement said. 'We continue to be appalled by the immense suffering of civilians, including the denial of essential aid. There must be no unlawful transfer of Palestinians from Gaza or within the West Bank, nor any reduction in the territory of the Gaza Strip. We will continue to work with the Israeli Government and a range of partners.'
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Morning Mail: Australia sanctions two Israeli ministers, Austria mourns ‘dark day', Socceroos secure World Cup spot
Morning everyone. Let's start with good news for a change: the Socceroos only needed to avoid heavy defeat against Saudi Arabia to qualify for next year's World Cup, but they did it in style with a 2-1 win. In other news: the Albanese government has made a surprise decision to impose sanctions against two Israeli ministers, joining four other countries. Austria has declared three days of mourning after a school shooting left eight pupils dead, and the political fight over LA protests continues in the US. Plus: Australia's virtual collection of 'weird animals'. World Cup awaits | The Socceroos secured their qualification for the 2026 World Cup thanks to a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium where, crucially, they avoided heavy defeat. Sanction surprise | Australia has joined the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Norway in placing sanctions on two Israeli government ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, for 'inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank'. Penny Wong, in a joint statement with the other four countries, said their behaviour was 'not acceptable'. Smotrich and Ben-Gvir are both critical to Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government and have a history of extreme views. At home, Jewish groups have accused the Australian National University of making its campus 'unsafe' after the board declined to adopt a definition of antisemitism endorsed by Universities Australia. ABC to axe Q+A | The ABC's managing director, Hugh Marks, is expected to unveil his first tranche of changes at the public broadcaster this morning, including a new round of redundancies and the axing of Q+A after 18 years. 'They're all so weird' | A scientist at Flinders University has pioneered the creation of a publicly available virtual collection of 1,600 bones and skeletons of animals such as the southern marsupial mole in order to tackle the myth that Australian fauna is less evolved. Excess excise | Economists say recent rises to the tobacco excise rate have not lowered smoking rates and the tax should be frozen or even 'radically' reduced to address the soaring cigarette black market. 'Dark day' | Austria will hold three days of national mourning after a 21-year-old man shot dead eight pupils and an adult at his old high school and injured a dozen more before turning his weapon on himself. The chancellor, Christian Stocker, called it 'a dark day in the history of our country'. 'Un-American' | Donald Trump has defended his decision to order more troops into Los Angeles to quell protests over federal immigration raids. His defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, said the soldiers would be there for 60 days and the House speaker, Mike Johnson, said California governor Gavin Newsom should be 'tarred and feathered' for his handling of the protests. Celebrities have backed a social media post by Mark Ruffalo condemning the 'authoritarian and un-American' response. Follow developments live. One-state solution | Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, says Washington is no longer pursuing the idea of an independent Palestinian state. Greta Thunberg has accused Israel of kidnapping her and her fellow activists in international waters after an attempt to break the Gaza blockade. Malta mystery | Two men have been sentenced to life in prison for supplying the car bomb that killed the anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta eight years ago. Crane to go | A giant crane that has blighted the skyline of Florence for almost 20 years is finally to be removed after city entrepreneurs clubbed together to pay for it to be dismantled. Palestinian journalist 'living in two different worlds' since fleeing Gaza The Palestinian journalist Plestia Alaqad speaks to Nour Haydar about her new memoir recounting living under siege in Gaza and her love for her homeland. Sorry your browser does not support audio - but you can download here and listen $ In the second part of our investigation into prison suicides, we examine the case of Suzzanne Davis who died while on remand in Western Australia in 2020 despite a coroner having warned about the danger of ligature points in cells. Chelsea Fisher, Suzzanne's daughter, talks about the pain of her mother's death and her anger at the failure of authorities to act. The latest TikTok health craze extols the virtues of kettlebell swings. Advocates say it can increase muscle mass, flatten your stomach and make your glutes stronger. In this week's Antiviral column, Natasha May asks experts whether it's safe or just a bad back waiting to happen. Sign up to Morning Mail Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Cricket | The World Test Championship between Australia and South Africa gets under way at Lord's later today. Geoff Lemon writes that it may be an odd format, but the more it's played the more relevant it seems. Swimming | Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh set a world record for the second time in three days with the 18-year-old eclipsing Hungarian great Katinka Hosszu in the 200m individual medley. Football | The sacking of Ange Postecoglou – and his ability to project it almost as a triumph – shows that the Premier League has entered a post-truth phase, writes Jonathan Liew. The Trump administration is pressuring Anthony Albanese to intervene in the dispute over compensation for investors after the New South Wales government confiscated the mining leases of NuCoal in 2014, the Australian reports. Maroondah hospital in Melbourne's eastern suburbs is to close its speciality paediatric services, the Age claims. The Sydney Morning Herald celebrates the life of its longstanding cartoonist John Shakespeare, who has died aged 63. New South Wales | The state's auditor general publishes a report on the mental health of police. Business | Austrac begins its money laundering case against the Star casino at the federal court. Canberra| The EU ambassador Gabriele Visentin addresses the National Press Club. Enjoying the Morning Mail? Then you'll love our Afternoon Update newsletter. Sign up here to finish your day with a three-minute snapshot of the day's main news, and complete your daily news roundup. And follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland. And finally, here are the Guardian's crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Australian dream turns into a nightmare as the value of the average home soars past $1million
Australia's property market continues to strengthen and gain momentum as the value of the average home soars past the $1million mark for the first time. The national mean dwelling price reached $1,002,500 in the March quarter, a 0.7 per cent increase from the previous three months, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released on Tuesday. The Real Estate Institute of Australia expects prices to continue rising, although the pace of growth is unlikely to return to the levels seen during the COVID-19 property boom. Figures from the ABS show the total value of the nation's residential dwellings rose by $130.7 billion to a staggering $11.4 trillion. Real Estate Institute of Australia President Leanne Pilkington expects house prices to continue to rise for the rest of the year. 'We're certainly not going to see the massive increases that we saw during COVID, but we do think house prices will continue to increase, particularly as interest rates are predicted to fall further,' she told AAP. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, speaking at the National Press Club on Tuesday, noted that regulation and red tape had made building and buying a home in Australia too hard. Mr Albanese said it was too complex and expensive to get a project off the ground, adding that Housing Minister Clare O'Neil had been tasked with reducing those barriers. 'It is too hard and one of the areas is regulation,' he told the National Press Club. He also backed a failed NSW project to redevelop Sydney's Rosehill Racecourse, describing the controversial proposal as 'absolutely right'. The proposal aimed to transform the 140-year-old track into a 'mini-city' encompassing about 25,000 homes, but it was ultimately voted down by the racecourse owner's members. 'That's the sort of thing that we're going to need to do. You can't deal with supply issues without having the courage to do things like that,' Mr Albanese said. '(We) want to make sure that housing is fit for purpose and all of that but if we can cut through on some of the red tape, then that will reduce costs.' According to the ABS, the increase in residential dwellings was fuelled by housing markets in Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia. While NSW remains Australia's most expensive property market with a median price of $1.25 million, Queensland is not far behind at $944,700. Though prices are rising, further interest rate cuts could slow the pace of increases compared to the same period last year. Data reveals the average price in the ACT went backwards, falling to $941,300, as the Northern Territory maintains the lowest mean price at $517,700. Eliza Owen, head of research at property analyst group Cotality, told AAP it was not a surprise the nation's property market continued to be pushed to record values. '(It comes) off the back of long-term constraint on housing supply, compounded by more recent factors like interest rate reductions, which increase access to finance,' she said. Ms Owen noted the interest rate reduction earlier this year helped reinvigorate demand across the housing market on a fairly broad basis. While the average dwelling price has reached seven figures for the first time, Ms Owen said factors such as rate reductions had given markets like Sydney a 'sugar hit', rather than triggering a large upswing like the robust growth seen in 2021.
